It was a Thursday afternoon in April 2020. A whole month of just the six of us trapped in the house had finally gotten the best of the McAvan family. The dinner table had become more hostile than the presidential debates. We all walked on eggshells around each other, not wanting to cause even more tension to rise. Even though we were already in isolation, we all took it a step further and hid in our rooms most of the day. My dad finally made us all go get in the truck. All four of us kids squished into the back seat, assuming we were going to get ice cream because that’s the only thing that makes our family stop fighting. 

 

Our truck pulled into a cute little ranch house, one you would envision in a wild west movie. We scrambled out of the car and heard a sea of dogs barking. I forgot all about the cookie dough ice cream I had been craving just seconds before. The swarm of puppies instantly enhanced my mood. The smallest one, however, stood out the most. 

 

When we first met her we realized how tiny she was—easily the runt of her litter and the only puppy with black and white striped fur. The puppy, no bigger than my foot, began inching her way towards us. She sat by my Dad’s foot and peered up at him, almost as though she was daring him to not take her home. The courageous furball weighed only two pounds. She could not move very quickly; her legs were no bigger than my pinky finger. Her tiny body fit perfectly in the palm of my hand, and she worked up enough energy to let out a quiet bark. That small sound seemed to take everything out of her. Instantly, all six of us fell in love.

 

Though we had just met, she already fit right in. Once she began chowing down food constantly and napping more than half of the day, we knew she was a true McAvan. We thought our creativity was at an all-time high, naming her Luna. It turns out that name won the award for the most common dog name of 2020. However, the petite shorkie, with the sweetest button nose and pink tongue, became the cure our whole family needed to get over the quarantine blues. 

 

Our family used this untamed, mini-sized puppy to come together. Instead of hibernating in our rooms for the long, vigorous day, we gathered in our living room. Our eyes peered like small children at the candy store, watching Luna's every move. The littlest things Luna would do made us all laugh uncontrollably. Our family group chat blew up daily, full of photos and videos of Luna. Her spunky personality and adorable movements made not leaving the house not so bad.